Praise for the armed forces, present and past, was never so abundant than during this year’s Veterans Day events around Hudson County, as people gathered from the tip of Bayonne to the steps of West New York City Hall to honor the troops.
Although such celebrations were sparsely attended in the last decade of the 20th century, the attacks on Sept. 11, 2001 brought a renewed appreciation for those who serve and have served our nation, according Barry Dugan, a member of the Bayonne Detachment of the U.S. Marine Corps League.
Bayonne, known as a patriotic city for more than a century, had a number of events, and several of Dugan’s members also took part in ceremonies in Jersey City and elsewhere.
In the waning days of the 1990s Veterans Day had been seen as something of an old person’s occasion, partly because the main attendees were veterans of wars long ago, but this year’s events had many younger people involved.
History of the day
Veterans Day was first celebrated on Nov. 11, 1921 when an unknown soldier’s remains were interned at Arlington National Cemetery, at a site overlooking the Potomac River.
This was a point of reference for a number of veterans who celebrated the end of World War I, Dugan said.
That war ended at 11 a.m. on Nov. 11, 1918, or, as these vets well know, at the eleventh hour on the eleventh day of the eleventh month.
Armistice Day, as it was known then, became a national holiday in 1926. It was believed then that World War I would be the war to end all wars, something unfortunately disproven when violence again erupted in Europe within a decade, leading eventually to the Second World War.
In 1954, President Dwight Eisenhower signed legislation designating Nov. 11 as Veterans Day, with the intent of honoring, not only World War I veterans, but all veterans who fought for America.
Two more unidentified veterans were buried in Arlington, one killed in World War II, one in the Korean conflict.
In 1973 arrangements were made for the burial of an unknown soldier from the Vietnam War, though no unidentified solider was found until 1984. People gather now on Nov. 11 to honor all veterans from every war.
For Hudson County residents, war is very real, as witnessed by the shipping out of 170 soldiers from the National Guard armory in Jersey City recently to the Persian Gulf. Most of these soldiers live in Bergen, Hudson, Essex, Passaic and Union counties.
“I was at the deployment from the armory last month, and it is still a very emotional experience for me,” said Mayor Steve Fulop. “I know the challenges the families that are here will have over the next year while their loved ones are deployed but I also remain inspired by those soldiers I met in their belief in a better tomorrow.”
Fulop is a U.S. Marine Corps. veteran.
Jersey City vets get a gift for South Korea
While Jersey City saw a number of events in the days leading up to Veterans Day, perhaps the most significant was held at the Korean War Memorial at the foot of Washington Street on Nov. 11, when for the second time in three years, officials from South Korea joined veterans and public officials in honoring those who fought in that conflict.
The delegation also brought a donation of $100,000 from the province of Gyeonggi to help the Hudson Korean War Veterans Association, which oversaw the construction, to restore and complete the monument.
Vandals more than weather defaced some of the panels. Some pavers with the names of veterans and others need to be reattached, possibly due to flooding in the area after Superstorm Sandy in 2012.
“When they came here two years ago they noticed that some of the panels were still blank,” said Paul Maiellaro, describing panels in the outer wall that forms a circular perimeter to the monument.
Originally, these panels were all supposed to include etchings. But lack of money kept the group of completing the project.
Councilman Michael Yun said the officials from South Korea offered to help, and that the original vision of the project would be altered slightly to reflect images of the past as well as what South Korean looks like today.
“This war and all wars are fought for the future,” Yun said. “This monument will show what these men fought and died for in Korea.”
The money, Dugan said, will allow the monument to be repaired and upgraded, and will include the names of veterans who have passed away.
Among the South Korean delegation were Choi Ji Min, a representative from Uijeongbu, who was sent on behalf of the governor of Gyeonggi, and family members of Koreans who perished during the war.
In addition to the donation for the monument, the Korean delegation two years ago invited some of the veterans to return to Korea to see the changes there.
“I told them most of the veterans didn’t have money to pay for such a trip,” Yun said. “They said that was no problem. They would pay for the trip and all expenses. That trip cost about $80,000. The veterans were honored in five cities by mayors and citizens there. Our people do not forget what these veterans did for them.”
The veterans also met the president of Sam Sung, visited five cities and a temple, as well as made a trip back to the 38th parallel, the boundary line between North and South Korea.
“North Korea looks just like it did back then, all dirt and hills; South Korea looks like this,” said Edward Paradine, commander of the Hudson Korean War Veterans, waving his hand at the towering buildings along Jersey City’s waterfront.
Yun said these veterans had not gone back since the war ended sixty years ago.
Bayonne paid tribute
From Jersey City, members of the Korean War group went to Bayonne to hold a brief ceremony before the Korean War monument there.
Bayonne, which has a dozen veterans’ posts, hosted the Hudson County Distinguished Service Medal Ceremony at the Herbert-Joyce VFW Post 226 Veterans Museum where 20 veterans received medals on Nov. 10. Bayonne veterans also gathered in Bayonne City Hall for a ceremony on Nov. 11.
Bayonne City Council also paid tribute to Soldiers’ Angels, a group that has been sending letters and packages to American troops wherever they are deployed in the world.
The group, which also operates in Union City, West New York and Jersey City, usually sells small items or takes donations to cover the cost of materials and postage. They are expected to set up shop at Bayonne Medical Center on Nov. 20.
West New York honored today’s and yesterday’s veterans
In West New York, a crowd gathered on the steps of City Hall to pay tribute to past and present heroes.
Hector Maisonaue, who just turned 85, had the distinction of serving the Korean conflict as a member of the 65th Infantry Regiment, nicknamed “The Borinqueneers.” This is a Puerto Rican regiment of the United States Army that participated in World War I, World War II, the Korean War, and in what is known in the United States as the War on Terror. The 65th Infantry was awarded the Congressional Gold Medal in 2014.
“This is a huge honor for me, to pay tribute to a man like Hector,” said West New York Mayor Felix Roque.
Maisonaue has lived in West New York for 30 years, and served four years in the Army from 1951 to 1955.
“I wanted to fight for the greatest country in the world,” he said.
William Bailey, a member of the New York National Guard, just got back from a deployment in Afghanistan. A graduate of Memorial High School in West New York, he went through the ROTC program at Fordham University, and received his commission as a lieutenant in 2012.
“I came back about a month ago,” he said.
He was not forgotten. During Memorial Day ceremonies earlier this year, residents of West New York signed a banner offering their support. He was presented with the banner at this year’s Veterans Day ceremonies.
Also honored was Daniel Cintron, who served during the first Gulf War from 1990 to 1994 as a member of the U.S. Army.
Weehawken looking to help homeless veterans
In Weehawken, Mayor Richard Turner made note that this year is the 100th anniversary of the start of World War I.
“We thanked all the veterans for their service,” Turner said.
Weehawken has one of the longest-surviving VFW posts in Hudson County.
“We were founded in 1930,” said Post Commander Chuck Barone. “On Veterans Day we pay tribute to all those who served and honor the sacrifices they made.”
The Weehawken post, he said, has weathered the storm of time that has seen loss of membership over the years. “We currently have 50 members, but we’re making a comeback.”
Councilwoman Rosemary J. Lavagnino said the North Hudson Community Action Program (NHCAP) has just been refunded for a veterans program that focuses on preventing homelessness for veterans and its quick response for those veterans on the verge or already homeless.
The program was refunded to the tune of $650,000, she said, 40 percent of which goes to re-house those with no place to live, or towards rapid response for those at risk. The program pays for the first five months of rent for those deemed eligible, during which time NHCAP works with the veterans to find a means of income, such as finding a job or eligibility in some other program.
Al Sullivan may be reached at asullivan@hudsonreporter.com.